


Weakness Builds Character

by Schweigsamkeit



Series: Auslander [2]
Category: X-Men: First Class (2011) - Fandom
Genre: Angry Erik, Bad English, Calm Down Erik, Charles Always Says the Absolute Worst Thing He Could Possibly Say, Charles Being Concerned, Erik has Issues, Erik is not a Happy Bunny, Explicit Language, Gen, Language Barrier, Languages, Languages and Linguistics, Poor Charles
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-07-10
Updated: 2014-07-10
Packaged: 2018-02-08 07:48:31
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 950
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/1932651
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Schweigsamkeit/pseuds/Schweigsamkeit
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>In which Erik is taught an unwilling lesson, and Alex learns some new words.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Weakness Builds Character

**Author's Note:**

> I also write prose, poetry, and fiction on WordPress, check it out here: https://zauberary.wordpress.com/

Erik isn't necessarily silent and brooding by choice.  
  
Sometimes it just has to do with the fact that he doesn't speak English entirely fluently, and he's too proud and suspicious to admit it by, well, speaking. If ever there were a weakness to hide, it would be the inability to communicate.  
  
And although he can normally get by in basic conversation, now that he's in New York there's the additional problem of _everybody being American._ Europe usually spoke British English if they spoke it at all, but accents from across the pond are just not comparable in his opinion. First, there's the accent everybody speaks with in the city, which may have been the Queen's English in some other life but is now loud and nasal and fast. And then there's the kind that Sean and Alex and Raven speak, and it is slower but, of course, rhotic. He often finds himself getting distracted by the number of R's they _actually_ pronounce, and as a result forgets to listen to the actual words. It's absolutely infuriating.  
  
This is how he found himself garnering his reputation as a silent and broody type. It was mostly on account of him leaving the room any time he didn't catch what someone else said, instead of just asking for clarification like most sane people would do. But really, he wasn't going to let them know just how much trouble he was having! He'd just go read something difficult and German for a few hours and make himself feel competent again.  
  
It was after Cuba when he was finally forced to make the prudent decision to _practice_ what he didn't know, instead of just avoiding it.  
  
They were all in the sitting room watching television one day. Erik was pleasantly engrossed in a book which _didn't_ require a dictionary at hand, and Sean and Alex were munching away at a bag of chips. Hank was missing, so Raven was curled up next to her brother under a blanket.  
  
"Holy shit, man," Sean exclaimed suddenly. "Hey Erik, that guy looks just like you!" He waved the other mutant over. "Come look at this."  
  
Erik came and looked at the TV, and the man in the commercial. "Yes, what about him?"  
  
"He looks just like you! Don't you think?"  
  
Erik had no idea what Sean was trying to express. Too many short words. _A denial?_ He frowned and looked at the TV again, trying to figure it out from the visual cues. _Don't I think what? Don't I like the advertisement?_ He had no idea why Sean thought he would care, but he just shook his head. "No, I don't."  
  
"Aw, c'mon! He totally does. Look at his hair!"  
  
Now Erik was completely confused. He frowned at Sean like the boy was another species, then went back to his chair and tried to settle back into his book.  
  
"You know, if you don't understand something, you could just ask for help," Charles pointed out innocently.  
  
Erik turned to blink incredulously at Charles, who was looking at him with a knowing smile. "Get out of my head, Charles," he said reflexively.  
  
"Oh, come now. I can't help but pick up on emotions. You were rather strongly confused."  
  
Erik stared at the telepath, probably more embarrassed by the whole situation than was strictly necessary. As a result he was now approaching the emotional state of _irritated and defensive._ He glared at the other man and sniped, "I speak five languages. I think I will be able to speak English without your help as well."  
  
Raven turned to frown at him. "He's just trying to be nice, Erik," she groused protectively. "You don't have to be a bitch about it."  
  
Erik blinked. " _What?_ "  
  
"I said grow a pair and ask for help yourself, instead of letting him do it for you and then throwing a fit."  
  
Erik shut his book with a snap and set it aside. "This is none of your business," he told her sharply.  
  
"What, because I'm right?"  
  
"No, because you are a child trying to speak with adults."  
  
"Please, just stop." Charles held up his hands. "It doesn't matter whose business it is, the _point_ is that you, Erik, should learn to be a bit more trusting and ask questions if you have them. You will learn _much_ faster that way. And Raven, while I appreciate the sentiment, I think Erik's had enough trouble for the moment without you telling him off."  
  
The room was silent after that. Erik eyed Charles in a way that said he didn't know what to do with him, glanced at Raven - who was now giving him a look that could burn through steel - and then turned to glare at the two people he could still intimidate. Sean and Alex quickly whipped their heads back around to focus on the TV; Alex snickered loudly to hide his wariness of the German, but stopped and ducked his head when he heard the other man stand up.  
  
Erik didn't do anything, though. He just took his book and strode out of the room, back straight as a post.  
  
"Man, what was that all about?" Alex groused.  
  
Charles just sighed. "He's not willing to admit that he's less than fluent. Just...try to help him _without_ being condescending, please," he told them. "And Alex, _don't_ insult him _or_ his mother. I don't care how many new words you learn in order to do it."  
  
Even so, a few days later Erik was bewildered to find himself being referred to as a 'cockamamie fustilarian'.  
  
And Alex was rather surprised when Erik punched him for it anyway. Apparently insults were not a difficult thing to translate.


End file.
